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Today's Opinions

In selecting a topic for this week I did some soul searching about how and why I, as a senior citizen, find it difficult to stick to any New Year's resolution regarding a diet plan or new healthy eating habits and exercise. Any nutritionist or doctor will tell you that dieting is pretty much a "quick fix," most of the time, and then the pounds return once you reach your goal weight and slowly slip back into your old eating habits. Changing your eating habits and developing a reasonable exercise program are the keys to successful weight loss and keeping it off.

Any time we have two cold fronts within a few days of each other the fish head for the rivers. Water temps in our area even have the clam farmers shivering (the ultimate indicator). Another indicator is when Captain Bill Roberts wears long pants! He is one tough bird, and when he wears long britches it's cold out!

My wife and I are excited because we are going back to Hawaii soon. We were married in Hawaii you see, or should I say we were mauwied in Maui four years ago. Going back will be like our second honeymoon and we are looking forward to it.

What will really be exciting is we will be flying in Hawaii. Yes, we have arranged to fly a Cessna similar to my own around the big island.

Once, while browsing through a bookstore, I came across a book with a very catchy title and beautiful book cover. That was enough to pique my interest, and then I recalled seeing an interview with author David Aikman about his newest book: Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity is transforming China and changing the global balance of power. David Aikman wrote from his experiences as Time Magazine’s bureau chief in Beijing. The book reveals much about the history and dramatic rise of Christianity in modern China, even under extreme persecution.

Whether you are at home all day, as Jim and I now are, or are still a part of the working force; nothing is more satisfying or comforting than to sit down to a simple supper of a bowl of steaming hot soup (this includes chili) with muffins, cornbread or homemade bread.

It seems that since Jim retired last June we have been on a campaign to do all the things that we never had time or energy to get to before then. First it was to get the 5th wheel ready and up to Indiana, where we spent September and October. Once home it was time to begin holiday preparations.

Just when Max was about dry from his bath, he had to go out to go potty. He only took ten minutes but in that time he covered himself in dirt and sand spurs. You can imagine what a Sheltie looks like with black dirt and sandspurs in his fur.

Not only does he get stickers in his fur regularly, he also gets his paws dirty, too, when he rakes dirt up with his front feet acting macho.

Then there's Molly. She gets ice cream on her chest when she eats ice cream. Such a messy dog, and her mane is nearly six inches long. She gets knots behind her ears, too.

Christmas and even New Year's is past for another year. We have all somehow survived one more year of trying some new recipes and making the traditional ones. It seemed like I would never be done; there was always one more recipe to prepare. But then, a few days before Christmas, everything was made and stored so that gift plates could be made and Jim and I would have goodies throughout the remainder of the season.